You have to think something is awry when a town’s main business is making coffins. Phitsanulok has a curious number of shops displaying 6ft boxes. And not just any old coffins – these are boxes with bling. Scoffing at the notion that it’s no good being the richest person in the graveyard, each one is…
Lampang tends to be overlooked. When it comes to great northern towns, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai are the headline-stealers. Yet Lampang has a few things that set it apart, thanks largely to the animal kingdom. The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre on the outskirts of town has a strong educational feel to it. Sure,…
A look of panic could be seen just behind Ae’s smile. She tried hard to keep calm, but you could tell something was wrong. It was 8am and we were sitting on a charming yard in front of a mist-laden lake in Mae Hong Son, northern Thailand. What on earth could she be so stressed…
Just past a waterfall we pull off the dirt track for a quick coffee. The shop is surrounded by chickens and dried mud and seems about as rural as rural gets. An old woman in a red shawl appears from behind a pick-up and smiles. She puts two fingers to her mouth in the universal…